It’s so easy to get caught up in idealizing our college experiences: idyllic nighttime strolls with friends around the quad, having the freedom to explore newfound interest without the restrictions of a high school curriculum.
In actuality, though, students’ daily lives usually revolve around their academics. The danger of falling behind in the Emory rat race due to a lower GPA than your peers manifests itself through the fear of losing out on internships or career opportunities.
Emory’s updated set of GERs — the Blue GER Plan — takes into consideration their students’ reality, understanding that requiring students to take courses that are not relevant to their major or interests will be a waste of time and resources.
For example, many liberal arts majors tend to rely on the supposed “easier” labs to fulfill the Science, Nature and Technology requirement by registering for “baby bio” or Intro to Astronomy. Most students entering the College already have a basic understanding of Physics, Biology and Chemistry from their high school curriculum. Emory students, under the current Gold GER Plan, are being robbed of valuable opportunities to explore subjects that they are truly passionate about in favor of a refresher course in 10th grade Biology.
Requiring only two continued writing courses, instead of the previous three, doesn’t suddenly jeopardize students' education and future. It still allows them to gain an intermediate level of English and writing skill. That course spot that would have been reserved under the Gold GER Plan is now open for students to choose fascinating classes and seminars that better align with their interests and goals.
Emory’s new GER plan is ultimately a more effective way to ensure students have a well-rounded education by providing a greater opportunity to prioritize exploring a diverse array of classes they are interested in, as well as the chance to interact with topics outside of their majors.
College should be the place where students can make their own decisions, truly independent and in charge of their own futures; however, this doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be any requirements — students will need help as they navigate their own college experience and the Blue GER Plan still accomplishes that despite lowering the number of prerequisites.
Arguments for experiential learning GERs are not justifiable, considering that clubs and on-campus events include a wide variety of opportunities for experiential learning, both on and off campus. A college education should strike the balance between structure and freedom. It is critical for students’ education to be supplemented with certain paramount knowledge and life skills, but as emerging adults, college students should be able to wield the independence necessary for seeking out the topics and fields they wish to be exposed to.
Self-discovery is not just an important trait, but a learned skill. If students come into college with rigid structuring, the majority of their time will be spent trying to fulfill their GERs as fast as they can, usually occurring across the span of freshman and sophomore year – the two years that are the most crucial for academic and extracurricular exploration. Many institutions have adopted an idea of well-roundedness, focusing on GERs that fulfill a variety of academic fields. College is equipped to educate individuals for both personal and professional development. If a student is old enough to attend a university, they should be treated as responsible enough to come into said university with a predetermined idea of what they want to learn and pursue.
College is hailed as the hallmark of newfound growth and independence, so much of which is supplemented by the concept that professors will not be as rigid as teachers from high school, and one’s parents or guardians will not be in their dorm room after a night out. Some structure, like an enclosed campus, is necessary, offering a bridge between one’s old life and the real world; GERs should be modeled the same way, providing structure without suffocating the personal growth and independence of incoming students.
Elyn Lee (24C) and Saanvi Nayar (26C) are members of the Editorial Board.
